Enzo Maresca's surprising reaction after Wilfred Ndidi 'lost his rag' with Cole Palmer tackle

Wilfred Ndidi could number himself fortunate to flight with a yellowish paper aft catching Cole Palmer connected the backmost connected his bottommost portion attempting to triumph the shot during Leicester's 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Chelsea

Chelsea brag Enzo Maresca amazingly defended Wilfred Ndidi after the Leicester star's rash situation connected Cole Palmer and insisted helium did not merit to beryllium reddish carded.

Maresca's secured a 2-1 triumph implicit his erstwhile club connected Saturday arsenic goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez helped the Blues assertion 3 aft Jordan Ayew scored a consolation from the spot.

Earlier successful the game, Ndidi could number himself fortunate to flight with a yellowish paper aft catching Chelsea midfielder Palmer connected the backmost connected his bottommost portion attempting to triumph the shot astatine the King Power Stadium.

A VAR reappraisal of the incidental was carried retired but officials astatine Stockley Park were satisfied that referee Andy Madley did not marque an mistake and opted not to upgrade his yellowish card.

Ndidi's situation was slammed by erstwhile Chelsea prima Joe Cole successful the TNT Sports studio. He said the midfielder "lost his rag" with the tackle - but Maresca defended the subordinate helium managed past play and said determination was nary "bad intention"

"I don't deliberation the people is Cole," the Italian said aft the game. "I said aft the Man United game, erstwhile determination is atrocious intention, it has to beryllium a antithetic punishment from the referee. I'm not saying Wilf had a atrocious volition due to the fact that I emotion Wilf.

"It's not conscionable our players. For me, it's general. Whenever determination is atrocious intention, the punishment has to beryllium different." When asked if Ndidi should person seen red, Maresca replied: "I don't deliberation so, to beryllium honest."

The absorption of Maresca - who played Ndidi 36 times successful the Championship past play arsenic helium helped the Foxes instrumentality to the Premier League - was wholly antithetic to pundit Cole, who was baffled that the Foxes antheral didn't spot red.

"That tackle, helium could wounded him there," Cole said. "It's a unspeakable tackle. This is simply a crippled wherever they were miles disconnected it, Leicester, and astatine the tallness of their frustration, he's mislaid his rag, helium should beryllium sent off.

"He astir scores the equaliser. If helium plays a portion successful getting Leicester backmost successful the crippled i'd ideate Enzo Maresca volition beryllium furious."

Fellow pundit Peter Crouch said: "I hold with joe. It's dangerous. That could snatch his achilles and that's thing we stamp retired of the game."

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